The Exterminator

"In war, you have to kill to stay alive... On the streets of New York, it's often the same."

1980 1h 38m EN

😐

5.5

MID

★5.5TMDB · 158

ActionCrimeDramaThriller

Synopsis

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When a man's best friend is killed on the streets of New York, he transforms into a violent killer, turning New York into a war zone.

“In war, you have to kill to stay alive... On the streets of New York, it's often the same.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Robert Ginty
John Eastland
Christopher George
Detective James Dalton
Samantha Eggar
Dr. Megan Stewart
Steve James
Michael Jefferson
Tony DiBenedetto
Chicken Pimp
Dick Boccelli
Gino Pontivini
Patrick Farrelly
CIA Agent Shaw
Michele Harrell
Maria Jefferson

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: James Glickenhaus
Writers: James Glickenhaus
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

46 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "The Exterminator Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by James Glickenhaus, shot by Robert M. Baldwin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Joe Renzetti. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Corky O'Hara shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Robert Ginty and Christopher George and Samantha Eggar carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "In war, you have to kill to stay alive... On the streets of New York, it's often the same.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0080707 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

James Glickenhaus directs. Robert M. Baldwin behind the camera. Joe Renzetti scores. Corky O'Hara cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

146 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Part of the "The Exterminator Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
3Directed by James Glickenhaus, shot by Robert M. Baldwin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Joe Renzetti. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Corky O'Hara shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Robert Ginty and Christopher George and Samantha Eggar carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "In war, you have to kill to stay alive... On the streets of New York, it's often the same.".
8IMDB entry: tt0080707 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 11 themes, including "new york city", "vietnam", "rape", "gangster".

The technical file

Cinematography: Robert M. Baldwin
Original score: Joe Renzetti
Editing: Corky O'Hara
Production design: William De Seta
Makeup / hair: Michal Bigger
Sound: Bruce Staple
Stunt coordinator: Cliff Cudney
Runtime: 98 min · 1h 38m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: The Exterminator (1980)

Part of

The Exterminator Collection

A guy, a flamethrower, and plenty of death.

Also by

James Glickenhaus

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2014-01-26
★ 8/10
Exterminate, Exterminate! How wonderfully tacky and exploitive, The Exterminator rides in on the coat tails of films like Death Wish and has a bloody good time doing so. Plot sees Vietnam veteran John Eastland (Robert Ginty) embark on a crusade of vigilantism when his best buddy is left paralysed by scumbags. Pic is relentlessly bleak, as Eastland goes about his business, offing serious low-life's in a number of gruesome ways, director and writer James Glickenhaus revels in saying that all around us is a rotten apple. Of course vigilantism is wrong, but Glickenhaus makes it virtually impossible to not be on The Exterminator's side, such is the vile stench that circles the seamy underbelly of the city. Trying to stop The Exterminator is world weary Detective James Dalton (Christopher George), well when he is not having sex with Samantha Eggar in the local hospital that is! He's a great character is Dalton, stoic and scuzzy, a throwback to the halcyon days of film noir gumshoes. And of course, he will be tinted with a conflict of interest. The pace sometimes plods, but this is off set by the action that is guaranteed to arrive in the next passage of play, and the kills, graphic for the time, are not without grotesque ingenuity. Eggar is pretty much a token offering and really serves no purpose other than to give Jimmy some sugar, while some of the editing and photography leaves quite a bit to be desired. Cheap independent problems be damned though! The Exterminator is in your face, it shows it all and doesn't cut corners or soft soap its theme. It be a splendid slice of Grindhouse Grue for those with a kink for such glorious excess. 8/10

Production companies